


Stories

by chaostheoryy



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Ex-Military!Ben Solo, Gen, Strangers to Friends, Werewolves, You are a bartender working for Han Solo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-02 23:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13328997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaostheoryy/pseuds/chaostheoryy
Summary: For the longest time you never believed in your hometown’s fables about monstrous wolves capable of turning into humans. However, when you find yourself face-to-face with a mysterious red-eyed beast late one night, you begin to question whether or not the stories may actually be true.





	Stories

**Author's Note:**

> I received an anonymous request on Tumblr for a Werewolf!Kylo X Reader story and boy did my brain go to town. I decided to sub in Ben Solo as the character in order to better fit a sort of Modern Werewolf AU. I think it's safe to say it worked out quite well...

_They’re just stories._ _They’ve always just been stories_.

Ever since you were old enough to understand, people would tell you tales about the wolves in the forest. But these weren’t just any old timber wolves they were talking about. These were massive beasts with eyes that glowed a bright red, beasts who could kill with a single bite or a quick stroke of their paw. And the worst part of all, they would say, was that the wolves could disguise themselves as human. “Don’t go talking to strangers,” you’re dad had warned you one night, “You never know what they might really be.”

You had never truly believed those stories. Even as a young child, you knew it wasn’t possible. Humans could never turn into wolves just as wolves could never turn into humans. _Just a bunch of tall tales_ , you would think to yourself whenever you’d hear the sound of howling wolves in the distant, _They’re just animals_. _Nothing more_.

And you stood by that word for years. That is until you saw one.

You were driving home late one night after a brutal shift at the local bar. Customers had been rowdy and several fights had broken out over the seven hour period you were, including one the resulted in a man being carted out on a stretcher by a couple of EMT’s. You had all but shouted in joy when the last of the patron’s dipped out just after 2am, allowing you and the owner to close up shop.

You were nearly home when an animal bolted out onto the street in front of you. You instinctively slammed your foot on the brake, bringing your car to a sharp halt. Stunned, you took a moment to catch your breath before lifting your head to look out and insure you hadn’t struck what you assumed to be a buck. However, when you found yourself gazing into a pair of crimson eyes, your heart stopped. There, standing a foot from the front of your car, was a gigantic black wolf. 

For a moment, it hovered there, staring right at you through the windshield. You couldn’t explain how it made you feel. At first you could only describe it as fear – fear that if the beast so chose, it could crash through your window and consume you. But soon you came to realize that you weren’t truly afraid. No. You were…astonished. Despite the intensity of those crimson eyes, the wolf was beautiful. It’s charcoal coat was so smooth and well-kept it practically glowed in the moonlight. It stood tall and proud and showed no fear, even in the headlights of your car. 

You blinked and suddenly the wolf bolted, disappearing into the shadowy underbrush just off the road. You sat there for a minute, completely stunned by what you had seen. Perhaps the stories you had heard as a child weren’t entirely fictional after all…

* * *

Even amidst the bustle of work the following evening, you couldn’t stop thinking about the wolf. You could still see its coat shimmering in the moonlight and feel its red eyes peering straight into your soul. There was something about it that you couldn’t shake and it wasn’t just the sheer size of the animal. There was something off about it, something unnatural.

You heard a soft shuffling sound and looked up from wiping the smudges from some of the glasses to see a young man take a seat on one of the barstools. His scruffy face was framed by a head of long black hair that naturally curled outward at the ends and his eyes were a fascinating shade of brown. He was almost an enigma – rugged and intimidating yet gentle.

You walked over and smiled at him. “Welcome in. What can I get ya this evening?”

There was a flash in his eye when his gaze met yours, almost as if he recognized you for the briefest of moments. If he did, he made no indication otherwise. “A tall Heineken,” he said as he reached into his to pull out a cigarette, “Please.”

“How many times do I gotta tell ya: no smoking in my bar!”

You were taken back as Han swooped in a plucked the cigarette from the man’s lips before he could even light it. The newcomer frowned up at the bar owner but, despite his distaste at the situation, made no attempt to fight him.

Han sighed as he dropped the cigarette in the trash. “I see you met my boy,” he said sarcastically to you, “Sorry he doesn’t exactly have the best manners. Don’t know where he gets it from.”

You blinked. “Wait… He’s your _son_?” You looked from Han to the man and were suddenly shaken by the resemblance. “I didn’t even know you had kids!”

“Just the one, sweetheart,” he said with a smirk. “(Y/N), this is Ben. Ben, this is (Y/N). Be nice to her or I’m throwing you out.”

Ben narrowed his eyes at his father and watched as he sauntered off to help a young couple in one of the corner booths. You held out your hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Ben.”

He took your hand and shook it gently, his eyes scanning your face. He looked at you in such a strange way, as if you were someone familiar to him despite you having never met one another. There was an intensity to his gaze too, one that made you feel… _exposed_.

“You too.”

You flashed another smile as you pulled your hand from his. “Let me get you that Heineken.”

You filled one of the empty glasses with beer from the tap and returned to his place at the bar, setting the glass down on a napkin in front of him. “So what’s your story?” You asked curiously as he took a sip of his drink.

“My story?”

“Yeah. Did you just get in to town? Han never mentioned anything about you visiting.”

“Not surprising,” he scoffed lowly.

“What?”

Ben took a deep breath and placed his beer back down, folding his hands around the base of it. “My father and I don’t exactly get along,” he explained, eyes gazing off at something across the room. “He and my mom shipped me off to boarding school first chance they got. When I was done, I had no desire to go back home to parents who didn’t want me around so a joined the military for a few years. And now here I am, back in this stingy little town getting cold-shouldered by my deadbeat dad. Home sweet home.” He took a long sip of his beer to punctuate his monologue.

You were surprised by the bitterness of his words. Was it really true? Had Han been so heartless raising his only son? It was honestly hard to believe. “Well, I don’t know a thing about Han’s life aside from the fact that he’s a killer when it comes to talking out his ass,” you said with a laugh, “Guess it doesn’t surprise me that he kept his family a secret all these years.”

Ben eyed you curiously. “What about you?”

“Me?” You let out a huff. “There’s not much to say. I’ve been cooper up in this town my whole life. My parents died when I was 19 and I don’t really have any family around the area so I’ve been on my own since then.”

“A lone wolf.”

You blinked, head tilting slightly at his response. A flash of red and black flickered through your mind. “Yeah…Guess you could say that.”

You stared vacantly at him as he took another long swig of his beer. The mere mention of the word “wolf” brought you back to the night before, back to the moment you found your eyes locked with those crimson orbs. All your life you had believed the stories about the monstrous beasts were simply myths told to scare kids and keep them out of the woods at night. But after last night, you knew that there was actually some truth to them – that somewhere out there, there was a massive red-eyed wolf prowling in the wilderness.

“Excuse me,” you said before slipping away from the bar and leaving Ben to finish his drink alone.

* * *

“You saw _what_?”

“A wolf, Han. A big black wolf with eyes the color of blood,” you repeated, “I know it sounds crazy but you remember the stories that the old hunters would tell everyone down at the market? I think they were telling the truth.”

“Really?” Han crossed his arms and leaned against the door to the supply closet. “I suppose that means Skywalker’s pigs can fly too.”

You frowned. “You really don’t believe me.”

Han sighed. “Look, kid,” he said, reaching out to place a hand on your shoulder, “I wish I could say I did. But all those stories about the red-eyed wolves who turned into men…” He shook his head. “They’re not real. I don’t know what you saw out there last night, but I’m tellin’ ya, it wasn’t what you think it is.”

He pat your shoulder gently before slipping back out to the front of the bar as a group of football fans came in to watch the game. You took a deep breath. Maybe Han was right. Maybe your eyes had played tricks on you and all you had seen was someone’s clumsy German Shepard bolting across the street.

You followed Han out to the main room and made your way back to the countertop in the hopes of sparking a conversation with Ben only to find that he had disappeared. In his place was an empty glass, a ten dollar bill, and “Keep the change” scribbled on his napkin.

* * *

Just after 4am that night, you jolted awake. Groggy, you looked around the dark bedroom in search of something you couldn’t even name. There was a feeling you couldn’t shake – the feeling that someone was watching you.

You slipped out of bed and padded across the room toward your bathroom. Perhaps a glass of tap water would sooth you. However, as you passed the window, a shadowy figure caught your attention. From the corner of your eye, you swore that the shape was that of a huge canine. The wolf. 

However, when you turned to look out the window, the figure was gone and all you could see were the pine trees that stretched for miles beyond your home.

* * *

You were quite pleased to see Ben back at the bar three nights later.

“You must have been in a hurry,” you said as he placed a glass of Heineken in front of him.

“Excuse me?”

“The other night when you were in here,” you explained, “You ran off without saying goodbye.” You flashed him a small smirk. “Thanks for the tip, by the way.”

He tipped his glass toward you before taking his first sip. “I had to slip out and grab a bite to eat before my father tried to shovel some of those stupid pretzels down my throat.”

You laughed. “I don’t blame you. I ate a handful of ‘em on my break once. Don’t think my stomach was able to properly digest them for at least a week.”

You were pleasantly surprised to see a small smile tug at Ben’s lips as he chuckled at your remark. It was the first time you had seen him do so since you’d met and, frankly, you wished he would smile more often.

“Can I ask you something?”

His brow cocked slightly. “What about?”

You leaned over the counter, propping yourself up on your elbows. “Did Han ever tell you the stories about the wolves?” Ben’s eyes seemed to widen ever so slightly. “The one’s with the red eyes who could transform into humans?”

“The werewolves.”

“So you do know the stories!”

You could see Ben swallow. He seemed nervous, almost haunted by the mention of the beasts. “I know them.”

You eyed him curiously. Why did his mood change so quickly? A second ago he was actually smiling and now he looked like he was standing at his own mother’s funeral. “Would you believe me if I told you I saw one?”

There was a flash in Ben’s eye. “When?”

You were surprised by the question. Had you said such a thing to anyone else, they would have laughed and denied you. But Ben didn’t. 

“Five days ago,” you answered, “When I was driving home after close. It bolted out of the woods and stopped in the middle of the road. I managed to break just in time and when I looked at at it, it just stared right back at me with those crimson eyes.”

You shook your head, still in slight disbelief. Even now, after replaying the scene over and over again in your head, you still couldn’t quite trust that what you had seen that night was a wolf.

“Were you afraid?”

You looked at Ben, surprised yet again by his choice of question. You thought about it though. Had you been afraid of it? Had you believed that your life was in danger because of it? “No,” you replied honestly, “I wasn’t. I was just…amazed. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. The way it’s fur glimmered in the moonlight and the grace with which it ran…” You smiled as you pictured the wolf turning its head. “It was beautiful.”

“ _Beautiful_ ,” he repeated in almost a whisper. He gazed at you, almost captivated by you and the way you had described your encounter. “Not many people would say such a thing about a monster.”

“I don’t know what it is I saw out there. But I know it wasn’t a monster.”

* * *

Ben stayed at the bar until close that night. Despite being there for hours, he only had two beers and a shot of whiskey that Han practically dumped down his throat. “If you’re gonna start hanging around my bar all day, you better start drinking real alcohol,” Han had said.

When you finished locking up, you found Ben standing out by his car, hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket. “I know you military brats are tough and all, but you really shouldn’t be standing out in the cold like this,” you teased as you walked over to him.

A small smirk ghosted at the corner of his mouth. “I’ve been in worse,” he replied, “ _Much_ worse.”

You narrowed your eyes playfully at him. You see his breath, the white cloud-like steam dissipating in the night air just before another could follow suit. “So, what are you waiting around for? Han try to drag you home or something?”

“He couldn’t get me to go no matter how hard he fought,” Ben remarked, eyes flicking upward to gaze at the moon overhead. “No, I was waiting for you.”

“And why is that?” You asked curiously.

He looked back at you. “There’s something I want to show you.”

He led you around to the small alleyway between the building of Han’s bar and the small butcher shop next door. Aside from the single lamp mounted on the side of the shop, there wasn’t much light available to illuminate the space. For that reason, you were thankful for the moon and its silver glow.

“No offense, Ben,” you said as you followed him into the center of the alley, “But I’m starting to think you’re going to assault me or something.” 

He came to a stop and turned to face you. “I promise you, I didn’t bring you here to hurt you.”

“Then why _did_ you bring me back here?”

You saw him clench his jaw, his eyes scanning you for some sort of sign. You didn’t budge. You stared straight back at him and waited.

“Because the stories are real.”

Your brow furrowed. “What?”

“The wolves are real. You’re eyes weren’t deceiving you the other night when you were driving home. It wasn’t a deer that you almost hit. It was one of them.”

You blinked. “How do you know that?”

Ben swallowed, his dark eyes full of hesitation. He was nervous, just like he’d been earlier that night when you’d told him about the incident. He clenched his fist. “Because it was me.”

You gaped at him in absolute silence, your brain struggling to process his words. “So you’re telling me that you’re…”

“A werewolf. Yes.”

“Uh huh.” You blinked a few times. You didn’t quite know what to say. Hell, you didn’t quite know whether to believe him or not. Giant wolves with red eyes? Okay, you could believe that. Giant wolves with red eyes who happened to also be a person? Hard to grasp.

“I can practically hear your brain chugging away, so I’m going to do you a favor,” Ben said, taking a few steps back. “Try not to scream, okay?”

You’re brow immediately furrowed. “Scream? Why? What the hell are you…”

The question immediately faded as Ben began to transform. Even as it unfolded in front of you, you could hardly believe your eyes. Paws took the place of hands. A thick snout took the place of his nose. Sleek, black hair grew from every pore. And a pair of bright red eyes took the place of hazel. One second Ben Solo was standing in front of you. The next, you found yourself face-to-face with a gigantic wolf.

Your breath caught in your throat and your eyes bulged as you quickly came to recognize the creature as the one you had seen that night. “Oh my God…” You whispered in astonishment as you gazed at Ben’s alternate form.

He lowered his head and snorted, a puff of hot breath wafting from his nostrils. Your astonishment faded into absolute horror. “Oh my _God_.” Ben pulled his head back, seemingly expecting you to scream. “I almost killed you!”

Ben tilted his head as you covered your mouth. “Holy shit. If I hadn’t stopped…” You were completely horrified by the thought of accidentally running Ben over. “I’m so sorry.”

Ben padded forward and nudged your hand with his snout. Your brow raised at the contact. Was he asking you to touch him?

Hesitantly, you reached out toward him. He responded immediately, tilting his snout down and pressing the top of his head against your open palm. You nearly gasped. His fur was like silk to the touch, smooth and soft under your skin. As you stroked it, you couldn’t help but smile.

“You know, just when I thought you couldn’t be any quieter, you go and turn into a big dog,” you teased.

A soft growl rumbled from within his chest and he shoved you with his massive head. You laughed freely and, despite his lack of human expressions, you swore you could see him smile.

“Alright, quit goofing around so we can get outta here,” You turned and started walking back toward the parking lot with a smirk on your face. “I was thinking about inviting you over for a late night snack tonight but I sure as hell don’t want you shedding on my couch.”

You heard some shuffling behind you and, sure enough, the clicking of claws against concrete was substitute for the gentle steps of sneakers. “Promise me there won’t be any pretzels and we won’t have a problem.”


End file.
